Crocker Art Museum :: Press Releases

December 5, 2006 – Sacramento, Calif. – Indian tribal art will be highlighted in Palkee: Wedding Conveyances in North India, on view at the Crocker Art Museum from February 3 – May 6, 2007. Rare and beautiful, the exquisitely carved wooden panels featured in this exhibition were created for the sides of palkee, transport vessels typically carried on the shoulders of four or more pole bearers and used during wedding ceremonies of the Santal tribe.

Marriage is a particularly important ceremony in the Santal tribe, filled with elaborate religious and social rituals reflecting the bride and bridegroom’s social status. One traditional aspect of the Santal wedding ceremony requires the bride be carried in a large wicker basket or, in a wealthier family, a palkee. The bridegroom is also carried in a palkee during portions of the wedding ceremony. While palkee had fallen into disuse in recent decades, the use of palanquins has experienced a revival in the past few years.

Carved on the palkee panels are themes derived from local ceremonies; the Santal creation myth; totems for the 12 Santal clans; battle scenes that may represent the 1855 Santal rebellion; and, most often, scenes from everyday life.

The Crocker Art Museum was founded in 1885 and continues as the leading art institution for the California Capital Region and Central Valley. The Museum offers a diverse spectrum of special exhibitions, events and programs to augment its collections of California, European and Asian artworks. The Crocker is located at 216 O Street in downtown Sacramento. Museum hours are 10 AM – 5 PM, Tuesday – Sunday; Thursday until 9 PM. For more information on exhibits and events call (916) 264-5423 or visit crockerartmuseum.org.